Heat Transport Device

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a heat transport device ( 10 ) which is used to cool or temper a device, which is to be operated at a defined operational temperature and which comprises a cooling and/or heat exchange device, comprising at least one flow channel ( 14 ) for a heat transport fluid, which extends in a coiled or spiral-shaped manner through a block ( 12 ) which is in good thermal contact with a device or an area which is to be cooled, said block acting as a mechanical carrier for a device, sensor, bearing and electronic element which are to be tempered. The flow channel ( 14 ) guiding the heat transport means is embodied at least sectionally in such a manner that the channel coils ( 29 ) are embodied by segment sheet metal recesses ( 39/   i ) by sections arranged in a light cross-section over-lapping. The segment sheet steels ( 39/   i ) are connected together in a rigid manner by hard-soldering and surround flat channel sections in sections which are offset counter to each other about the sheet steel thickness of the segment sheet steel. A cooling gas chamber ( 62 ) is provided for a sensor ( 24 ) which is to be cooled, said cooling gas chamber comprising a pot-shaped cylindrical housing provided with a jacket tube made of titanium. Said housing is locked by a ceramic disk which is hard soldered to the titanium tube.

The invention relates to a heat transport device for cooling or tempering a device or component to be protected against overly high temperature, or a device to be operated at a defined operating temperature, and having the additional characteristics stated in the preamble of claim 1, which determine the type.

Such heat transport devices have a cooling device or a heat exchanger device having at least one flow-through channel for a heat transport fluid, which channel runs in helical shape or spiral shape through a metal block, which block stands in good heat contact with the device or part of a device to be cooled, and is generally utilized as a mechanical carrier for the device or machine element to be tempered, e.g. a sensor or a bearing.

In the case of known heat transport devices of this type, the coolers or heat exchangers are implemented by means of helically shaped or coil-shaped pipes, which might also run in spiral or meander shape, and are held in good heat contact with the part of a metal block or of a device housing to be cooled, for example by means of gluing or soldering, so that heat to be conducted away from a block for the purpose of cooling can be transferred well to the heat transport fluid circulating in the pipe system, and conducted away, or so that heat to be passed to the object to be tempered, by way of the pipe system, by means of the heat transport fluid, can be transferred with an advantageous degree of effect.

This type of implementation of heat transport devices is subject to a number of disadvantages, of which the following will be mentioned as examples:

Producing the cooling and/or heat exchanger unit, with a suitable geometry, in each instance, and attaching it to or installing it into a housing of a device to be cooled, e.g. a pyrometer, which is supposed to be able to be used for detecting a high process temperature, is complicated, and generally requires skilled work carried out by hand, which is time-consuming and expensive. The pipelines that are available have a disadvantageous ratio of heat transfer surface and transport volume, because of their cross-section, which is generally circular, so that cooling coils or heat exchangers that are implemented with pipes having a circular cross-section necessarily have a comparatively large volume, and this is disadvantageous for use in areas in which high pressures prevail, for reasons of stability as well as reasons related to seals.

It is therefore the task of the invention to indicate a heat transport device of the type stated initially, which not only has a simple structure but is also accessible for efficient production, and can be implemented with a significantly more advantageous ratio of heat transfer surface to fluid transport volume than a heat transport device implemented with pipes having a circular cross-section.

This task is accomplished, in terms of its fundamental idea, by means of the characterizing features of claim 1.

According to this, the housing block of the device to be tempered, through which heat transport fluid flows, has a multi-layer structure, in such a manner that channels that conduct the heat transport fluid are formed, at least in certain sections, in that channel spirals are formed by sections of recesses of sheet-metal segments of the block, which overlap one another in clear cross-section, whereby the sheet-metal segments that form the housing block are firmly connected with one another, in material-bonded manner, and form edges of level channel sections, in certain sections, which are offset from one another by the sheet metal thickness of the sheet-metal segments, or a low-number multiple thereof, whereby furthermore at least two cooling circuits are provided, which can be operated with different heat transport fluids, and a gas is used as the heat transport fluid in at least one of the cooling circuits.

In this connection, it is particularly advantageous if a gas is used as the heat transport fluid in that cooling circuit in which heat occurs at a high temperature level, since in this connection, the high heat conductivity of a gas can be utilized particularly effectively for conducting heat away and transferring it to the cooling circuit that is at a lower temperature, which is operated with a liquid as the heat transport fluid.

Furthermore, the heat transport device according to the invention provides at least the following technical advantages:

The sheet-metal segments of the block that forms the channels that guide the heat transport fluid in the joined state can be produced automatically, using an NC-controlled or CNC controlled laser-cutting method, with great precision, so that stacking the sheet-metal segments by machine, to produce the block configuration, is easily possible. When using relatively thin sheet metal, the flow-through channels can be implemented with flat, rectangular cross-section shapes, for example, which result in a particularly advantageous ratio of heat transfer surface to channel volume, i.e. to the volume of the heat transport fluid that flows through the channels, in other words make it possible to achieve a high cooling or tempering effect at a relatively small construction volume. The multi-layer technique used in production of the block opens up many different possibilities for designing the channel guidance, which could not be achieved with pipe-shaped line elements, or could only be achieved with great effort. Joining of numerous sheet-metal segments can also be automated without problems.

For the case that the sheet-metal segments are to be joined together by gluing, a varnish that can cure is suitable for this purpose, with which the sheet-metal segments are sprayed or wetted by means of being dipped into a varnish bath, before they are brought into the layered configuration, if necessary after having allowed excess adhesive material to drip off, in which configuration they are joined to produce a uniform block, for example by means of thermally accelerated curing of the adhesive material. In order to achieve good heat conductivity of the adhesive layer in the case of joining of the block by means of an adhesive, e.g. a curable multi-component resin, it can be practical to embed material having good thermal conductivity, e.g. metal dust, into the plastic.

When joining the metal block by means of soldering, preferably in a hard-soldering or high-temperature soldering process, a good thermally conductive connection between the individual sheet-metal segments is obtained in every case.

Block regions to be kept at different temperature levels can be set off from one another in simple manner, using plate segments that consist of a ceramic material that can be soldered to metal plates, which material has a significantly lower heat conductivity than conventional metals like steel or aluminum, which has a particularly high heat conductivity, whereby a staircase-like or cascade-like structure of the temperature progression in the block can be achieved between a region of the block that is disposed in the vicinity of a heat source, and a region of the block that is practically at ambient temperature.

A configuration of the heat transport device provided in accordance with claim 7, in such a manner that sections of the block that can be cooled, disposed on different sides of a ceramic plate, are assigned to a separate heat transport circuit, in each instance, is suitable for this purpose.

If, as provided according to claim 8, block parts that can be cooled are switched hydraulically one behind the other, so that a temperature gradient occurs between regions that can be cooled and through which flow occurs one after the other, or if, as provided according to claim 9, transport medium channels assigned to different regions of a block are switched hydraulically in parallel, so that the same temperature can be maintained in all of the partial regions, then supply lines and return lines required for such hydraulic line connections can be formed by means of openings in the sheet-metal segments and, if necessary, in the ceramic intermediate pieces, which align with one another, in each instance.

The temperature profile between maximal and minimal block temperature can be influenced with simple means, using sheet-metal segments having different thickness, preferably in an arrangement such that the thickness within the block increases monotonously, step by step, between a minimal value and a maximal value.

In the case of a configuration of the heat transport device according to the invention as a cooler, sheet-metal segments having different outside diameter can alternately be used as parts that form block core parts and cooling ribs, i.e. “external” air cooling can also be implemented, in addition to the “fluid” cooling by means of the heat transport fluid conducted through the core region of the block.

When using a relatively cold gas, e.g. a nitrogen gas obtained directly by means of evaporation of liquid nitrogen, which is introduced into a chamber that contains a sensitive sensor, for example, it is particularly practical to provide a direct in-flow channel to the “gas” chamber, which leads from the gas connector to this chamber by the shortest way possible, and is lined with a material having poor thermal conductivity, e.g. a silicone hose or a Teflon hose, which hose touches a channel formed by means of openings in plate segments that are aligned with one another only at certain points; this can be achieved in simple manner by means of a corresponding configuration of the edges of the openings in the sheet-metal segments that align with one another.

The object of the invention is furthermore a control unit for operational control of a heat transport device as explained so far, or, in general, of a drive element operated with a fluid working pressure medium, e.g. a dual-action, pneumatic or hydraulic drive cylinder, for the control of which an electrically controllable solenoid valve is provided, which can be controlled by means of output pulses of an electronic sub-unit, which generates these output pulses from the processing of command signals from a central unit as well as from sensor output signals.

In the case of such a control unit, the solenoid valve provided to control the pneumatic drive motor can generally be controlled by means of output signals of an electronic sub-unit that generates these output signals from the processing of command signals as well as sensor output signals, if applicable, which monitor the position of the drive cylinder piston. As a rule, these solenoid valves are controlled from a central control unit, by way of electric lines, if several electrically controlled drive cylinders are provided.

In this connection, it is disadvantageous that in addition to the pneumatic feed lines, electrical feed lines—control lines for the solenoid valves—must also be provided, which require additional, complicated installation work, particularly in the case of complex systems. Expansion of such systems with additional drive units and their control valves is particularly complicated and expensive.

In this regard, it is the task of the invention to create suitable control units, in connection with pressure-activated actuators, which make it possible to implement complex system comprising numerous drive elements, with significantly less effort.

This task is accomplished, in terms of its fundamental idea, by means of the characterizing features of claim 19 and, with regard to advantageous embodiments of this fundamental idea, by means of the features of the other claims 20 to 23.

According to this, each of the control units has its own control power source assigned to it, which is configured as a chargeable charge storage unit, whereby an electric generator that can be driven by means of a rotating, pneumatic drive motor, preferably a direct-current generator, is provided to charge the storage unit and, within the framework of the control unit, has a solenoid valve that can be controlled by means of output signals of the electronic sub-unit supplied from the storage unit, as a storage/charge valve, by means of which the pneumatic drive motor can be connected with a central compressed air supply of the pneumatic system, which also comprises the drive cylinder, and can be locked off relative to it.

In this way, in total, an essentially autarkic drive unit is achieved, which can be joined together in any desired multiplicity, to produce a larger system, whereby only the pneumatic supply system is utilized as the operating energy source, in such a manner that a compressed air line that proceeds from the pneumatic pressure source is present, to which the sub-units merely have to be “pneumatically” connected. Electrical installation work can be essentially integrated into the drive sub-units to be combined with one another.

A charge state of the electric storage unit utilized as a power supply, in keeping with demand, can be guaranteed, in simple manner, by means of a charge control unit that monitors the charge state of the electric storage unit, provided in accordance with claim 20. An electronic sub-unit of the control unit, which generates control signals for controlling the control valve of a consumer, in each instance, as a function of command pulses of a central unit that administers several control units and consumers, is configured in such a manner, in a particularly advantageous embodiment in accordance with claim 4, that it communicates with the central unit by way of a wireless transmission route. In this way, the installation effort for a complex system, comprising a plurality of consumers, e.g. drive units, is drastically reduced.

Particularly energy-saving operation of the total system is achieved by means of the configuration of the control valves for the drive control of drive cylinders as well as the storage/charge valves for charging the charge storage unit, in accordance with claim 23, i.e. the electrical storage units can be designed for comparatively limited capacity.

Additional details of the heat transport device according to the invention are evident from the following description of special exemplary embodiments, on the basis of the drawing. This shows:

FIG. 1A projection, schematically greatly simplified, of a heat transport device according to the invention, having a cooling body joined together from sheet-metal segments;

FIG. 2 a to h sheet-metal segments suitable for structuring the cooling body of the heat transport device according to FIG. 1, in a top view, in each instance;

FIG. 3 a a cooling body consisting of the sheet-metal segments according to FIG. 2 a to 2 h, in section along the line IIIa-IIIa of FIG. 2 h;

FIG. 3 b the cooling body according to FIG. 3 a in section along the line IIIb-IIIb in FIG. 2 h;

FIG. 4 a cooling body of another exemplary embodiment of a heat transport device according to the invention, in which a liquid and a gaseous heat transport medium can be used for cooling, in a projection, schematically greatly simplified, corresponding to the representation of FIGS. 3 a and 3 b;

FIG. 5 a a sheet-metal segment suitable for structuring the cooling body according to FIG. 4, in a representation corresponding to FIG. 2 a to 2 h;

FIG. 5 b a detail view of a sheet-metal segment for connecting two spiral regions of the flow channel of the cooling body according to FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 a another exemplary embodiment of a heat transport device according to the invention, in a representation corresponding to FIG. 1, but further schematically simplified; and

FIG. 6 b a detail of the mounting of a gas feed pipe in the cooling body of the device according to FIG. 6 a, in section along the line VIb-VIb in FIG. 6 a;

FIG. 6 c another exemplary embodiment of a heat transport device according to the invention, in a representation corresponding to FIG. 6 b; and

FIG. 7 a schematically simplified block schematic of a control unit suitable in connection with heat transport units according to FIG. 1 to 6 b.

For the purpose of explanation—without any restriction of generality—let us first presuppose, for the heat transport device designated as a whole as 10 in FIG. 1, a configuration as a cooler for a sensor 11 merely indicated schematically, which is supposed to be able to be used in an environment that is subjected to high temperatures, for measuring a physical variable, e.g. pressure, temperature, orientation of a magnetic field, intensity of a radiation, or the like, and is to be protected against damage caused by the high ambient temperature. In this assumed case example, the cooling is supposed to be achieved as the result of an expansion of the temperature range within which the sensor functions reliably.

A possible purpose of use of the heat transport device 10 can also be cooling of a device, e.g. cooling of a “small” television camera that is installed on a robot vehicle, which is intended for observation of hazardous areas, e.g. fire hearths, that would otherwise not be accessible. The purposes of use of the heat transport device 10 described in this regard have in common that the smallest space requirement possible is an important prerequisite for a broadly varied field of use of the heat transport device according to the invention.

These requirements are taken into account in the case of the heat transport device 10 according to FIG. 1 by means of a number of structural measures that will be explained in detail below:

The heat transport device 10 comprises a “thick-walled” cooling body designated as a whole as 12, which has the shape of a cylindrical pipe, in terms of its basic shape, in the mantle 13 of which body a flow channel, designated as a whole as 14, for a heat transport fluid runs, to which channel heat transport fluid is passed by way of a feed connector 16, by means of a conveyance device not shown in FIG. 1 for the sake of simplicity, which fluid flows back to the conveyance and conditioning device from the cooling body 12, by way of a return connector 17 of the flow channel, after it has flowed through the flow channel; in the latter device, the heat transport fluid is cooled again and thereby conditioned for the heat transport circuit.

Let us presuppose for the sensor 11, in accordance with the schematic representation of FIG. 1, that it has an oblong extended metal housing 18 in the shape of a cylindrical pot, which housing stands in good heat contact with the inside of the cylindrical cooling body 12, for example because the metal housing 18 of the sensor 11 has an outside thread 19/a, which engages to mesh with an inside thread 21/i of the cooling body 12 in the shape of a cylindrical pipe; in this connection, it is presupposed that the sensor 11, with its housing 18, can be screwed into the cooling body 12 from the connection side, i.e., in accordance with the representation of FIG. 1, from the right, which body is closed off by means of a ceramic plate 22, e.g. a circular disk of aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃), which is firmly connected with the cooling body 12.

In the arrangement of the sensor 11 as inserted into the cooling body 12, its housing can be axially supported on the ceramic plate 12 and braced relative to the cooling body 12 to such an extent that the thread grooves of the sensor housing 18 are pressed “fully” against the thread grooves of the inside thread 21/i of the cooling body 12 that lie opposite them, so that the good heat contact between the cooling body and the sensor housing that is required for tempering is a given. The strength of the connection between the ceramic plate 22 and the cooling body 12 that is necessary for this is achieved by means of a hard-solder connection between the ceramic and the metal of the cooling body 12.

In the case of the exemplary embodiment selected for the explanation, the sensor housing 18 is be axially supported on a retaining ring 23 that is inserted into the cooling body 12, so that there is no axial stress on the ceramic plate 22 and therefore it can be implemented with a low material thickness.

In the case of the exemplary embodiment of the heat transport device 10 shown for the explanation, the sensor element 24 that responds to the physical variable being monitored is disposed in the immediate vicinity of the ceramic plate 22, i.e. at an axial distance from same, which corresponds to only a small fraction of about 1/20 to 1/10 of the length L of the cooling body 12; however, the sensor element 24 is attached and axially supported within the central cylindrical cavity of the cooling body only at a greater distance from the ceramic disk 22, which corresponds to approximately ¾ of the length L of the cooling body 12, at its end facing away from the ceramic plate 22, in the region of an inner bottom step 27 of the pot-shaped cylindrical sensor housing 18, with which step the housing in turn rests against a ring face surface 28/s of a support part 28 screwed into the cooling body 12 as a counter-part. In this way, and by means of the threaded engagement of the sensor housing 18 with the cooling body 12, the sensor element 24 is held in thermal contact with an “inner” region of the cooling body 12, to which an average temperature of the cooling body corresponds, which can be well stabilized.

The flow channel 14, through which heat transport fluid flows during operation of the heat transport device 10, is configured in helical shape in that section of the cooling body 12 that surrounds the sensor housing 18, having a plurality of windings 29/w that run coaxially with regard to the central longitudinal axis 26 of the heat transport device 10.

On the feed side, this helical section 29 of the transport fluid flow channel 14 is connected with the feed connector 16 by way of a connector section 29/a that runs in a “straight line” parallel to the central axis 26. On the return side, the helical section 29, which extends practically over the entire length L of the cooling body 12, is connected directly with the return connector 17, with its winding that is “last” when seen from the ceramic plate—the one that is farthest removed.

To implement the progression of the transport fluid flow channel that has been explained so far, the cooling body 12 is configured, at least in a part that surrounds the sensor housing 18, comprising approximately ¾ of the length L of the cooling body, in a multi-metal-layer technique, in such a manner that here, the cooling body 12 is produced from a plurality of sheet-metal segments 32/i, which have been joined to form a uniform metal block, by means of a material-bond connection, whereby the relatively complicated—helically shaped—progression of the transport fluid channel 14 is formed by means of recesses of sheet-metal segments 32/i−1, 32/i, and 32/i+1 that communicate with one another, in total, which overlap in cross-section in certain regions.

For an explanation of a possible configuration of the cooling body 12 according to FIG. 1, which goes into more detail, reference is now made also to the detailed representations of FIG. 2 a to 2 h, as well as to the sectional drawings of FIGS. 3 a and 3 b, in which suitable configurations and orientations of sheet-metal segments 32/1 to 32/8 are shown, with which these sheet-metal segments can be joined to form the cooling body 12 shown in FIGS. 3 a and 3 b, by means of hard-soldering.

For the purpose of explanation, FIGS. 3 a and 3 b show only the case, which is mostly irrelevant in practice, that the transport fluid flow path 14 between the feed connector 16 and the return connector 17 has only a single winding that completely surrounds the central axis 26 of the cooling body 12, which is formed by five sheet-metal segments 32/2 to 32/6 (FIG. 2 a to 2 e), which are disposed between a connector sheet-metal segment 32/1 and a cross-channel sheet-metal segment 32/7, which has a “short” cross-channel section 14/8 (FIG. 3 a) that connects the “straight” connector channel section 14/a of the transport fluid flow channel 14 with its section 29 that runs helically, communicating with it, and is closed off at the face side of the cooling body 12 that lies opposite the connector sheet-metal segment 32/1, by means of a connector sheet-metal segment 32/8 in the shape of a ring disk, forming a seal for liquids.

In the configuration of the cooling body 12 chosen for an explanation, its sheet-metal segments 32/i (i=1 to 8) are configured as circular ring disks having the same diameter D of their outer circle edge 33 and the same clear diameter d of their central, circular openings 34, which are disposed concentrically with regard to the disk center points 26/m.

The sheet-metal segments 32/2 to 32/7 according to FIG. 2 a to 2 e are provided with—radially outer—kidney-shaped recesses 36/a that lie close to the edge, in the case of the representational example chosen for the explanation, which, when the sheet-metal segments 32/2 to 32/6 are firmly joined together in the orientations shown in FIG. 2 a to 2 e, to form the cooling body 12 according to FIGS. 3 a and 3 b, form the “straight-line” extended connector section 14/a of the heat transport medium flow channel 14, in an arrangement in which they align with one another, which channel can be connected with one of the supply connectors of the transport medium conditioning unit by way of a circular connector tap opening 37 of the connector sheet-metal segment 32/1.

Furthermore, the sheet-metal segments 32/2 to 32/6 shown in FIG. 2 a to 2 e are provided with radially inner, sector-shaped recesses 39/2 to 39/6, which alternately stand with overlap of their clear cross-sections, relative to one another, in the case of the cooling block 12 joined together from the sheet-metal segments 32/1 to 32/8, viewed along its central axis 26, and result in sections of a cooling winding of the heat transport medium channel 14 that completely surrounds the central axis 26 of the cooling head 12. This “one” heat transport channel winding stands in communicating connection with the extended channel section 14/a of the heat transport medium channel 14 by way of the cross-channel sheet-metal segment 32/7, and can be connected with the heat transport medium conditioning unit, not shown, by way of the radially inner connector tap opening 39 of the connector sheet-metal segment 32/1 (FIG. 2 h).

In the case of the configuration of the cooling body 12 chosen for the explanation, the connector tap openings 37 and 39 of the connector sheet-metal segment 32/1 (FIG. 2 h) are configured as circular openings, the central axis 41 or 42 of which, respectively, runs parallel to the central axis of the central opening 34 of the sheet-metal segments 32/i, in each instance, and encompass a radial plane 43 or 44, respectively, with said axis, which contains the central axis 26 of the cooling body, which planes intersect along the central axis 26 of the cooling body 12, at a right angle.

FIG. 3 a shows, in section along the radial plane 43 of FIG. 2 h, that configuration of the sheet-metal segments 32/1 to 32/8 that form the cooling body 12 that results when the sheet-metal segments 32/2 to 32/8 are laid onto one another in the orientation shown in a top view according to FIG. 2 a to 2 h, on top of the connector sheet-metal segment 32/1, and firmly connected with one another in this configuration.

FIG. 3 b shows that configuration of the sheet-metal segments 32/1 to 32/8 that results for the stack of sheet-metal segments, in analogous manner, in section along the radial plane 44 of the connector sheet-metal segment 32/1 according to FIG. 2 h, in which the section plane 44 runs through the radially inner connector tap opening 39—as the plane of the symmetry of the latter.

The sheet-metal segments 32/2 to 32/7 according to FIGS. 2 a to 2 f are shown with the same orientation of their radial planes 43 and 44, in each instance, as explained using FIG. 2 h, and are also joined together to form the cooling body 12 in this configuration, in material-bonded manner, particularly by means of hard-soldering.

The radially outer recesses 36/a that form the extended heat transport medium channel section 14/a in their aligned arrangement (FIG. 3 a) have edges in arc shape radially on the inside and radially on the outside, and extend, in the case of the exemplary embodiment shown, over an angle range a of approximately 350, e.g. an angle range between 30 and 400. These radially outer recesses 36/a are symmetrical with regard to the radial plane 43.

The radially inner recesses 39/2 to 39/5, which are offset by 90° from one another in consecutive sheet-metal segments, in each instance, also have arc edges radially on the outside and radially on the inside, and extend over a sector range of somewhat more than 90°, e.g. a sector range φ between 110° and 120°, whereby these radially inner recesses 39/2 to 39/5 are configured to be symmetrical with regard to the radial plane 42 or the radial plane 43, in each instance (FIG. 2 h).

Radially inner recesses 39/2 to 39/5 that are adjacent to one another, when viewed along the central axis 26, i.e. offset by 90° relative to one another, therefore have an overlap region between 10° and 15°, depending on the amount of the azimuthal expanse φ (FIG. 2 c). To form a complete 360° winding, at least four sheet-metal segments, e.g. the sheet-metal segments 32/2 to 32/5 shown in FIG. 2 a to 2 d, are therefore required, with the radially outer and radially inner recesses 36/a and 39/2 to 39/5, respectively.

With the prerequisite that only those recesses are provided through which heat transport fluid actually flows in the joined state of the cooling body, three different types of sheet-metal segments 32/i are needed to form a 360° winding, namely a total of two sheet-metal segments as shown in FIG. 2 a, as well as one sheet-metal segment 32/3 as shown in FIG. 2 b, i.e. with an arrangement of the radially inner recess 39/3 between the radially outer recess 36/a and the central, circular recess 34, and furthermore one sheet-metal segment 32/5 as shown in FIG. 2 d, in which the central, circular recess 34 is disposed between the radially inner fluid-conducting recess 39/5 and the radially outer fluid-conducting recess 36/a.

In the case of the sheet-metal segments 32/2 and 32/5 shown in FIGS. 2 b and 2 d, respectively, the recesses 39/3 and 39/5 that form the extended channel 14 and the sector-shaped winding sections are configured to be symmetrical with regard to the radial plane 43, which passes through the central axis 41 of the extended connector channel 14/a and the central axis 26 of the cooling body 12.

These two types of sheet-metal segments can be replaced with a single type of sheet-metal segment, in which, as indicated with a broken line in FIG. 2 b, in opposition to the radially outer recess 36/a to which the radially inner recess 39/3 is directly adjacent, a second radially outer recess 36/ao is provided—on the other side of the central axis 26—, which can be used in the orientation of the sheet-metal segment according to FIG. 2 d, to form the extended channel 14/a, and which remains “blind”—unused—in the orientation according to FIG. 2 b.

The sheet-metal segment 32/7 according to FIG. 2 f, which is provided with the cross-channel recess 14/q, which imparts the connection of the winding to the extended channel section 14/a, serves to connect the end 14/e (FIG. 3 a) of the wound section 29 of the flow channel 14 that is at a distance from the connector side, on which the feed and return connectors 16 and 17 are disposed, to the extended channel 14/a; in total, these are closed off by means of the connector sheet-metal segment 32/8.

It is understood that any desired number of channel windings can be disposed between a sheet-metal segment 32/1 according to FIG. 2 h, onto which a sheet-metal segment 32/2 according to FIG. 2 a is set, and a cross-channel sheet-metal segment 32/7 that is covered by means of a cover sheet-metal segment 32/8 according to FIG. 2 g, which windings are formed with an appropriate plurality by means of the sheet-metal segments 32/3 to 32/6 according to FIG. 2 b to 2 e. In the case of sheet metal thickness values of 1 mm, for example, each winding contributes only 4 mm to the length of the cooling body 12.

Depending on the arrangement of a device to be cooled relative to the cooling body 12, as explained using FIGS. 2 and 3, it can be practical to return cooled heat transport fluid either by way of the extended channel section 14/a, with the result that the temperature of the heat transport medium is significantly lower at the face of the cooling body that is at a distance from the connector side and at the connector side, or, alternatively to this, to draw the heated heat transport medium off by way of the extended connector channel 14/a, i.e. to choose the operating method in which the temperature of the heat transport fluid has the minimal value on the connector side.

The cooling body indicated as a whole as 50 in FIG. 4 is analogous to the cooling body 10, in terms of structure and function, to a great extent, so that it is considered to be sufficient to discuss structural and functional differences as compared with the cooling body 10 that was already explained, in order to provide an explanation.

The cooling body 50 differs from the cooling body 10 according to FIG. 1 to 3 c essentially in that in place of an extended connector section, in which the heat transport fluid flows essentially in the direction opposite the flow direction in the helical section 29, a helical transport fluid channel is also provided, in such a manner that two helical sections 29/1 and 29/2 that are essentially concentric with regard to the central axis 26 of the cooling body 50 are provided, the supply connectors of which are situated on a connector sheet-metal segment 52/1 disposed on one side. To form the concentric helical sections, sheet-metal segments 52/i (i=2 to n) are provided, which all have the same shape, in accordance with the representation in FIG. 5 a.

The two helically shaped flow paths 29/1 and 29/2 are coupled with one another in the sense of being hydraulically switched one behind the other, by means of a cross-channel sheet-metal segment 52/q disposed on the end away from the connectors (FIG. 5 b). The cross-channel section of the cross-channel sheet-metal segment is closed off, forming a seal for liquids, by means of a ceramic end element 52/a, configured as a circular disk, which is soldered onto the adjacent cross-channel segment 52/q.

The sheet-metal segments 52/2 to 52/n disposed between the cross-channel segment 52/q and the connector sheet-metal segment 52/1 are, again, configured as circular ring disks that have a slit-shaped recess 54/a adjacent to the outer edge 53 of the sheet-metal segment, and an inner slit-shaped recess 54/i adjacent to the inner circular edge 56 of the sheet-metal segment 52/i, in each instance, which recesses run concentric with regard to the central axis 26 of the cooling body 50 and have inner and outer edges that are curved in arc shape, in each instance, as well as inner and outer crosswise edges 57/i and 57/a that follow them radially.

Seen in the direction of the central longitudinal axis of the sheet-metal segments 52/i, i.e. of the cooling body 50, the outer recesses 54/a and the inner recesses 54/i have the same azimuthal width φ, which is greater than 180° and has a typical value of around 200°.

The sheet-metal segments 52/i are configured to be symmetrical with regard to the plane 58 that is the plane cutting the angle in half, which marks half of the azimuthal expanse φ. Furthermore, the arrangement of the radially outer slit-shaped recess 54/a and the radially inner circular-slit-shaped recess 54/i is selected in such a manner that the common angle range Δφ of their azimuthal expanse is equally great on both sides of the plane of symmetry 58, and corresponds to the minimal value. In the case of the example chosen for the explanation, in which the azimuthal expanse of the outer and the inner recesses 54/a and 54/i is 200°, in each instance, the common overlap range on both sides of the plane of symmetry 58 amounts to 20°.

The radii r/i and r/a of the radially inner edge 59/ri and the radially outer edge 59/ra of the radially inner recesses 54/i, as well as the radii R/i and R/a of the radially inner edge 59/Ri and the radially outer edge 59/Ra of the outer slit-shaped recesses 54/a are selected in such a manner that the radial expanses of the narrow sector-shaped crosspieces 61/a and 61/m as well as 61/i remaining between the outer edge 53 sheet-metal segment, in each instance, and the outer edge 59/Ra of the outer slit-shaped recess 54/a, as well as between the slit-shaped recesses 54/a and 54/i, as well as between the inner slit-shaped recess 54/i and the edge 56 of the central opening of the sheet-metal segment 52/i, in each instance, have the same amount Δr.

Joining of the sheet-metal segments 52/i to form the uniform cooling body 50 according to FIG. 4 takes place in an arrangement in which the sheet-metal segments that are adjacent to one another are rotated about the central axis 26 by 120°, relative to one another, whereby the rotation has taken place in the same direction of rotation—clockwise or counter-clockwise—when viewed along this central axis 26. This results in opposite flow directions in the two helical sections 29/1 and 29/2, with flow around the central axis 26 going in the same direction, when viewed in the direction of the axis 26.

Even complex heat transport devices can be implemented with cooling bodies 12 and/or 50, as explained using FIG. 1 to 3 c and 4 to 5 b.

To explain configurations of heat transport devices in this regard, reference will first be made to FIG. 6 a, in which a cooling body 12 is disposed, as was already explained using FIG. 1 to 3 b, between a cooling gas chamber 62 in which a sensor element 24 to be cooled is disposed, and a cooling body 50 as was already explained using FIG. 4 to 5 b.

The cooling body 12, which is formed by means of the sheet-metal segments 32/i, is set off relative to the cooling body 50 consisting of the sheet-metal segments 52/i, by means of a ceramic ring disk 64, and relative to the cooling gas chamber 62, also by means of a ceramic ring disk 66; the sensor element 24 is held on the inside of this ceramic ring disk 66 facing the cooling gas chamber 62, whereby this element and the ceramic ring disk 66 delimit the cooling gas chamber 62 in essentially gas-tight manner, relative to the central interior of the cooling body 12.

For the purpose of the explanation, it is assumed that a liquid—e.g. cooling water—is used as the working medium both in the cooling body 50, which is disposed at a distance from the cooling gas chamber 62, and in the cooling body 12 that is adjacent to the cooling gas chamber 62, whereas cooling by means of a gas that is passed through the chamber and surrounds the sensor element 24 is imparted in the cooling gas chamber 62.

To treat the coolant that flows through the two cooling bodies 12 and 50, a conditioning device 63, merely indicated schematically, is provided, by means of which the supply temperature of the liquid passed through the cooling bodies 50 and 12 is predetermined in defined manner.

The cooling circuits represented by the two cooling bodies 12 and 50 through which cooling liquid flows are switched hydraulically in parallel in the case of the exemplary embodiment represented for the explanation, whereby, in accordance with the representation, the “inflow” is connected with the extended section 14/a of the transport fluid flow channel of the cooling body 12 on the gas chamber side, in such a manner that the coolant first flows through the winding of the flow channel 14 of the cooling body 12 that is directly adjacent to the cooling gas chamber 62, and flows back to the conditioning device 63 by way of its additional windings.

The delimitation of the cooling bodies 50 and 12 relative to one another and/or relative to the cooling gas chamber 62 using ceramic ring disks 64 and 66, respectively, is not compulsory, but it is practical if the individual regions to be cooled are supposed to be thermally set off from one another, for example in such a manner that it is supposed to be possible to adjust different “average” temperatures in these regions. In this connection, it is assumed that the thermal conduction capacity of the ceramic ring disks 64 and 66 is significantly lower than that of the sheet-metal segments 32/i and 52/i. If, on the other hand, an average temperature is required over the entire cooling body 12, 50, of course metal disks having good thermal conductivity can also be used in place of the ceramic disks 64 and 66.

In the explanation example shown, the interior of the cooling body 12 is closed off from the cooling gas chamber 62 by means of the ceramic ring disk 66, which carries the sensor element 64 on its inside facing the cooling gas chamber 62, essentially in gas-tight manner.

The cooling gas supply to the gas chamber 62 is provided by means of a thin-walled stainless steel pipe 67 that passes through a straight “extended” channel that is formed by means of recesses of the sheet-metal segments 52/i of the cooling body 50, of the ceramic disk 64, of the sheet-metal segments 32/i, as well as of the ceramic ring disk 66 that align with one another, which, together with the sensor holder, essentially forms a bottom of the cooling gas chamber 62, which is closed off by means of a circular ceramic disk 68 on the side facing away from the sensor element 24.

The cooling gas is passed to the cooling gas chamber 62 by means of a blower provided as a functional unit of a cooling gas source 69 that is merely indicated schematically, by way of the stainless steel pipe 67, which passes through an opening of the ceramic ring disk 66, the diameter of which is significantly, i.e. two to three times larger than the outside diameter of the stainless steel pipe 67, and otherwise is radially supported on inner radial support ribs 71 (FIG. 6 b) of the cooling body 50 and/or the cooling body 12 only “at points” and thereby centered, which ribs are provided within recesses of only a few sheet-metal segments.

In the case of the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 6 a, it is—implicitly—assumed that the sensor element requires an electrical energy supply for the purpose of control functions, e.g. sensitivity adjustment, of function control over time, and of communication with a central unit, which supply can be designed in a usual design, at a low voltage and power level. Such a supply is implemented, in the case of the exemplary embodiment selected for the explanation, by means of a “small” turbine 72, which is driven by means of the cooling gas stream supplied by the cooling gas source 69, and in turn drives an electric generator, e.g. a direct-current generator 75, with whose output voltage, processed appropriately, the sensor element 24 can be supplied. The schematically indicated electrical lines 73 required for this purpose can be guided through channel sectors 74 that remain clear within the channel through which the stainless steel pipe 67 passes. In this way, a structural unit is created that is essentially autarkic electrically, so that more complex monitoring systems can be implemented in simple manner with such structural units.

The cooling bodies 12 and/or 50 according to FIGS. 1 and 4, structured—in multiple layers—from a plurality of sheet-metal segments, are particularly suitable for production for multiple uses, in such a manner that the sheet-metal segments assigned to the individual layers are configured to be connected in a defined matrix raster, with multiple connections, in each instance, so that by placing such segment plates on top of one another, stacking a plurality of sheet-metal segments to produce the cooling body configuration, in each instance, takes place at the same time, in which these metal sheets are soldered to one another, and afterwards, all that is required to make the individual cooling bodies is to separate the bridges between the cooling bodies, which otherwise are completely finished.

It is understood that heat exchangers can also be implemented in the multi-layer construction method explained on the basis of coolers.

The further exemplary embodiment of a heat transport device 10 shown in FIG. 6 c, the details of which will now be referred to, is essentially analogous, in terms of structure and function, to the exemplary embodiments explained using FIGS. 1 and 6 b, so that the explanation of the heat transport device 10 according to FIG. 6 c can essentially be restricted to differences in design. To the extent that the same reference symbols are used in FIG. 6 c as those already indicated in FIGS. 1 and 6 a, this will include an indication of the analogousness of the structure and function, and also a reference to the description of the correspondingly designated parts.

The heat transport device 10 according to FIG. 6 c comprises a cooling body 12 and a sensor element 24, merely shown schematically, held in a metal housing 18, as already explained using FIG. 1, which—in analogy to the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 6 a—is disposed in a cooling gas chamber 62, into which, again, cooling air or a specially provided gas, e.g. nitrogen or an inert gas, can be introduced for cooling, by way of a small stainless steel pipe 67, which passes through the cooling body 12 composed of sheet-metal segments 32/i, and projects into the cooling gas chamber 62.

The cooling gas chamber 62 is delimited by means of a chamber housing designated as a whole as 76, essentially structured in pot shape, which is set onto the cooling body 12 in the arrangement and configuration evident from FIG. 6 c, in a coaxial arrangement with regard to the central longitudinal axis 26.

For the purpose of simple attachment, the end-position sheet-metal segment 32/g of the cooling body 12 that is disposed directly adjacent to the cooling gas chamber 62 is provided with a support flange 77 on which the chamber housing 76 can be fixed in place, which flange projects beyond the outer mantle surface of the body. The chamber housing comprises a flange sleeve made of stainless steel, designated as a whole as 78, which in turn is provided with a radial outer flange 79, which serves for attachment of the chamber housing 76 on the support flange 77 of the cooling body 12, and can be attached to the latter using screws 81 that pass through passage bores 82 of the outer flange 79 of the flange sleeve 78 and engage into threads 83 of the support flange 77 of the cooling body 12.

A thin-walled mantle pipe 87 is hard-soldered to the short, pipe-shaped mantle part 84 of the flange sleeve 78, following an inner ring step surface 86 of that part, which pipe makes a transition, at its end facing away from the cooling body 12, into a radially inner ring flange 88, whose inner edge face surface 89 forms the edge of a circular opening 91, by way of which the interaction with the environment to be monitored that is necessary for the function of the sensor element 24 is possible, i.e. the shielding of electrical and/or magnetic fields is cancelled out or can be ignored.

This opening 91 is covered by a thin ceramic disk 92, having a thickness between 0.3 and 1 mm, which in turn is circular, and is hard-soldered onto the outer ring surface in the region of the radially inner ring flange 88. The mantle pipe 87 of the cooling gas chamber housing 76 consists of titanium, which can be joined to an aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃) ceramic disk so as to be resistant to stress, by means of hard-soldering.

A thin copper ring 93 is disposed between the flanges 77 and 78 of the sheet-metal segment 32/g of the cooling body 12 and the flange sleeve 78, on the cooling gas chamber side, as a seal; it has a thickness of 2/10 to 3/10 mm.

The stainless steel pipe 67 provided for cooling gas feed, which is held in openings of the sheet-metal segments 32/i of the cooling body 12 that align with one another, in the manner already described using FIG. 6 b, extends, as can be seen in the representation of FIG. 6 c, up to the immediate vicinity of the inner ring flange 88 or the ceramic disk 92, respectively, which essentially forms the bottom of the gas chamber housing 76, against which the cooling gas thereby flows directly.

In the case of the exemplary embodiment represented for the explanation, a small stainless steel pipe 94 is also provided to conduct away the heated gas; it is held in the cooling body 12 accordingly, at the same radial distance from the central axis 26 as the small gas feed pipe 67, but offset relative to the latter in azimuthal manner—in the circumference direction.

Alternatively, cooling gas can also be blown out into the ambient atmosphere, as indicated by means of a radial opening 96 of the chamber housing 76, which is disposed on the flange sleeve 78 of the latter, if this is possible.

Heat transport devices of the type stated can be easily implemented for the common sensor types, whose diameters are between 10 and 40 mm, for example with the reactions reproduced in the drawings, in terms of scale.

Proceeding from a heat transport device such as that explained using FIG. 1 and/or 6 b or 6 c, respectively, in terms of its fundamental structure, there can be a need for electrical or pneumatic or hydraulic auxiliary energy for an additional consumer, due to the fact that instead of a sensor element disposed in fixed manner in a housing, a movable sensor or a sensor that must be able to move back and forth in the axial direction in the cooling body arrangement, for example, is provided, or a sensor that is supposed to be adjustable to monitoring conditions, using a mechanical setting element, is provided. As an example of use, the case of a video camera that must be able to move within the cooling body unit, in the axial direction, when used in a high-temperature region, will be mentioned, for which purpose a hydraulic or pneumatic setting cylinder is suitable, for example, and/or requires electrical auxiliary energy for setting distances or lens openings, in order to allow focusing.

A heat transport device such as the one explained in detail using FIG. 6 c is easily suitable for installation of a video camera, if the ceramic disk 92 in turn is provided with a central opening that is covered by means of a transparent quartz glass plate, which in turn is connected with the ceramic disk by means of a temperature-resistant ceramic adhesive material.

To explain a heat transport device that is intended for tempering a more complex device, which can also comprise a pneumatic or hydraulic consumer in addition to or alternatively to an electric consumer, reference will now be made to the details in FIG. 7 in this regard.

The control unit indicated as a whole as 110 in FIG. 7 is intended, to state it generally, for operational control of a consumer, indicated as a whole as 111, operated with a fluid working media, or conditioned, which consumer communicates with a central control unit 12, merely indicated schematically, by way of the control unit 110; the central unit can control a plurality of other consumers of various types, not shown, each of which has its own control unit 110 assigned to it. Without any restriction of generality, i.e. merely for the purpose of explanation, let us assume that the consumer 111 is configured as a dual-action pneumatic linear cylinder having a piston rod 114 that exits out of the housing 113 on one side, which rod is rigidly connected with the piston 118 of the—pneumatic—drive cylinder 111 that delimits a drive pressure space 116, on the bottom side, from the pressure space 117 on the rod side, sealed against pressure, so that the piston can move.

To control the movements of the piston 118, or the piston rod 114 of the cylinder 111, respectively, that take place in the directions represented by the double arrow 119, a 4/3-way solenoid valve 121 is provided, the P supply connector 122 of which is connected with the compressed air source 123, which is merely indicated schematically, and makes compressed air available as a drive medium, at a pressure level of about 10 bar. The supply connector of the control unit 110 in this regard is indicated with 123/1.

A return connector 124 of the control valve 121, which could fundamentally be formed by means of a ventilation opening of the valve housing of the 4/3-way solenoid valve 121, is connected with a corresponding ventilation output 126/1 of the control unit 10, by way of a return line 126, in the case of the exemplary embodiment chosen for the explanation.

The 4/3-way solenoid valve 121 provided as the control valve has a center setting centered by means of valve springs 127/1 and 127/2 as the basic setting 0, in which the two supply connectors 122 and 124 are blocked off with regard to one another as well as with regard to the consumer connectors 128 (A) and 129 (B), which are connected with the bottom-side pressure space 116 or the rod-side pressure space 117 of the drive cylinder 111, respectively. To activate the solenoid valve 121, a dual-stroke solenoid system 131 having two control coils 131/1 and 131/2, merely indicated schematically, is provided, by means of which, when current is applied to them alternately, the solenoid valve 121 can be brought into its functional settings I and II, assigned to alternative, opposite movement directions of the piston 118 of the drive cylinder 111.

In the functional setting I, which is assumed, for example, if the one control coil 131/1 has current applied to it, the P supply connector 122 of the 4/2-way solenoid valve is shot with the A consumer connector 128, which is connected with the bottom-side pressure space 116 of the drive cylinder 111; in this functional setting I, the rod-side pressure space 117 of the drive cylinder 111, to which the B consumer connector 129 of the valve is enclosed, is connected to communicate with the return connector 124—the ventilation connector. In this functional setting I, the bottom-side pressure space 116 of the drive cylinder 111 is connected with the high output pressure P of the pressure supply source 123, and the rod-side drive pressure space 117 of the drive cylinder 111 is relieved of pressure, and the piston 18 of the drive cylinder 111 therefore moves to the right, according to the representation of the drawing.

In the functional setting II assumed by the control valve 121 if the second control coil 131/2 of the dual-stroke solenoid system 131 is excited, the P supply connector 22 of the valve is connected to communicate with the B consumer connector 129 of the valve, i.e. with the rod-side pressure space 117 of the drive cylinder 111, while the bottom-side pressure space 116 of the drive cylinder 111 is relieved of pressure, towards the ventilation connector 124. The piston 18 of the drive cylinder 111 moves to the left in this functional setting II.

Control of the solenoid valve 121 to switch it to its alternative functional positions I and II takes place by means of output pulses of a sub-unit, designated as a whole as 132, which has control outputs 133/1 and 133/2 individually assigned to the control windings 131/1 and 131/2 of the 4/3-way solenoid valve 121, at which outputs control pulses for the control windings 131/1 and 131/2, respectively, of the dual-stroke solenoid system 131 are output, from the processing of command signals of the central control unit 112 and sensor output signals.

The 4/3-way solenoid valve 121 is provided with an engagement device 134, merely shown schematically, whose function is the following:

By means of alternatively applying current to the control windings 131/1 or 131/2 with an output pulse of the sub-unit 132, the control valve 121 is put either into the functional position I or into the functional position II, and maintains this position, after the pulse has died out, until the other control winding has current applied to it by means of an output pulse of the sub-unit 132, in each instance, after which the functional position of the control valve 121 that has been set in this way is maintained, until the switch pulse for the alternative functional position has been output by the other control output of the sub-unit 132, in each instance.

In order to switch the 4/3-way solenoid valve 121 back into the neutral position, i.e. the central position 0 that locks it, after it was switched into its functional position II, for example, by means of a control pulse that was output at the control output 133/2 of the sub-unit 132, a switching pulse having a comparatively low level and lasting a short time is output at the other control output 133/1, which pulse is sufficient to overcome the engagement inhibition, together with the reset spring 127/1 that stands under bias, and to bring the valve body of the control valve 121 into the central position that corresponds to the locking position 0. The same applies analogously if the control valve 121 is supposed to be switched back from the functional position I into the basic position 0.

The position-characteristic output signals of position sensors 136/1 and 136/2, which give off output signals if the piston 118 of the pneumatic drive cylinder 111 shown for the explanation reaches its left end position or its right end position as shown in the drawing, are also passed to the electronic sub-unit 132 of the control unit 110, as data input signals from the processing of which, together with output signals of the central control unit 112, the control unit 132 generates control signals for the 4/3-way solenoid valve 121; if applicable, the output signals of a path transducer 136/3, which generates a voltage output signal that continuously varies with the position of the piston 118 between its line end positions, the time progression of which signal therefore contains data about the movement of the piston 118, are also passed to it.

Additional data that can be utilized for processing by means of the electronic sub-unit 132 can be electrical output signals of a temperature transducer or a pressure sensor or also a light intensity sensor that clearly vary with the measurement variables, in each instance; for the sake of simplicity, these are not shown.

Communication of the sub-unit 132 of the control unit 110 with the central control unit 112, which can be designed for the administration of a plurality of control units 110, takes place in wireless manner, as shown in schematically simplified manner by a transmission antenna 137/1 of the sub-unit 132 and a reception antenna 137/2 of the central unit 112, as well as by a transmission antenna 138/1 of the central unit 112 and a reception antenna 138/2 of the sub-unit 132 of the control unit 110.

An electrical storage unit 139 that can be charged as needed, merely shown schematically, which imparts the function of a direct-voltage source, is provided for the electrical supply of the electronic sub-unit 132 of the control unit 110, which storage unit can be implemented in known manner by means of a rechargeable battery or buffer capacitor having a sufficient capacity, which can be charged by means of a direct-current generator 141.

To drive the direct-current generator 141, which can be configured as a tachogenerator having relatively small dimensions, in accordance with the relatively low energy demand of the control unit 110, a pneumatic rotation motor 142 configured in the manner of a small turbine is provided, designed to be correspondingly “small” in terms of its drive power, which motor in turn can be driven by means of a compressed air stream branched off from the compressed air source 123 (cf. FIG. 6 a).

For control in this regard, a 2/2-way solenoid valve 144 switched between the compressed air source 123 and the pressure supply connector 143 of the pneumatic drive motor 142 is provided, which valve has a locking position I assigned to the shut-down position of the pneumatic drive motor 142, and a flow-through position II assigned to charging operation of the generator 141 and the motor 142 that drives it.

In turn, a dual-stroke solenoid system 146 having two control windings 146/1 and 146/2 is provided to control this charge control valve 144; by means of alternatively applying current to these windings with output signals of a charge control unit 139′ of the electrical storage unit 139, the charge control valve 144 can be brought into its alternative functional positions I and II, in which positions the charge control valve 144 is held by means of a catch device 147, in each instance, after a control pulse that had been passed in by way of the control line 148/1 or the control line 148/2 of the control development 146/1 or 146/2 has dropped off again.

The consumption of electrical control power of the storage charge valve 144 is advantageously kept minimal by means of controlling it by pulses. Turning on the charge operation of the pneumatic drive motor 142 and of the direct-current generator 141 driven by it as needed is achieved by means of monitoring the charge state of the electrical storage unit 139.

Alternatively to the method of control of the storage charge valve 144 illustrated with solid lines, by means of output signals of the storage unit 139, control of the storage charge valve 144 can also take place by means of output signals of the sub-unit 132, as shown with broken lines, if the latter also imparts monitoring of the charge state of the electrical storage unit 139.

A drive unit formed, in total, by means of the pneumatic drive cylinder 111 and the control unit 110 merely requires a connection to the pneumatic pressure supply source 123 or a connection to a “ring” line that proceeds from the latter, which imparts the function of a pneumatic “bus” line in this regard, in order to be integrated into a complex system that comprises numerous consumers, in fully functional manner.

A practical modification of the control unit 110, suitable for operation of a sensor, can also consist of installing a sensor to be cooled, instead of the drive cylinder, and of exposing this sensor to the air stream of the pneumatic rotation motor 42, then configured as a turbine, and of generating the supply voltage for the sensor by means of the generator 41, as already explained in connection with the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 6 a. 

1-23. (canceled) 24: Heat transport device (10) for cooling or tempering a device to be operated at a defined operating temperature, having a cooling and/or heat exchanger device that comprises at least one flow-through channel (14) for a heat transport fluid, which channel runs in helical shape or spiral shape through a block (12; 50) that stands in good heat contact with a device or region to be cooled, which functions as a mechanical carrier for the device to be tempered—sensor, bearing, electronic element —, that the channel (14) that conducts the heat transport medium is formed, at least in certain sections, in such a manner that the channel spirals (29) are formed by sections of recesses (39/i; 54/a, 54/i) of sheet-metal segments that overlap one another in clear cross-section, whereby the sheet-metal segments (32/i; 52/i) are firmly connected with one another, in material-bonded manner, by means of a hard-soldering or high-temperature soldering process, and form edges of level channel sections, in certain sections, which are offset from one another by the sheet metal thickness of the sheet-metal segments, whereby at least two cooling circuits are provided, which can be operated with different heat transport fluids, and a gas is used as the heat transport fluid in at least one of the cooling circuits, wherein the block (12; 50) comprises at least one segment plate that consists of a ceramic material, which can be joined to at least one adjacent sheet-metal segment by means of soldering. 25: Heat transport device according to claim 24, wherein the ceramic segment (64; 66) is disposed between two sheet-metal segments and soldered to them. 26: Heat transport device according to claim 25, wherein the ceramic segment (64) is disposed between sections of a housing provided with heat transport channels. 27: Heat transport device according to claim 26, wherein the sections that can be cooled, disposed on one side of the ceramic plate (64), in each instance, are assigned to their own heat transport circuit, in each instance. 28: Heat transport device according to claim 26, wherein the two block parts (12 and 50) that can be cooled are switched hydraulically one behind the other, and that a supply line is provided, which is formed by recesses of the segment plates and the ceramic disk that align with one another, and leads from a supply connector directly into the thermally external region of the multi-layer block. 29: Heat transport device according to claim 27, wherein the transport medium channels assigned to different regions of a block are switched hydraulically in parallel, whereby a common in-flow line and a common return line are formed by openings of the sheet-metal segments and the ceramic intermediate piece that align with one another, in each instance. 30: Heat transport device according to claim 24, wherein sheet-metal segments having different thickness are provided. 31: Heat transport device according to claim 30, wherein the thickness of the sheet-metal segments increases monotonously, step by step, between a value of minimal thickness and a value of maximal thickness. 32: Heat transport device according to claim 24, wherein the sheet-metal segments are alternately configured as core parts and as parts forming outer radial cooling ribs, whereby the transport medium channels provided for tempering are disposed in the core parts and in the core regions of the cooling rib segments that directly follow them. 33: Heat transport device according to claim 24, wherein a non-flammable gas such as nitrogen or an inert gas—e.g. argon—which is at evaporation temperature under normal conditions is used as a cooling gas, which gets into a cooling gas chamber (62) by way of a thermally insulated in-flow line (67), in which chamber a sensor element or measurement element (24) to be cooled is disposed. 34: Heat transport device according to claim 30, wherein the in-flow line is configured in the shape of a cylindrical pipe and passes through coaxially disposed openings of the segment plates of the metal block, and is fixed in place with force fit, e.g. wedged in place, in the channel of which the openings form the edge, by means of holder projections (71) of opening edges of some of the sheet-metal segments (32/i; 52/i), which projections project radially inward. 35: Heat transport device according to claim 24, wherein the gas feed pipe is formed as a thin-walled stainless steel pipe (67) having a thermally insulating outer coating, which consists of a plastic material that is resilient at normal temperature. 36: Heat transport device according to claim 24, wherein the cooling gas chamber (62) that contains the sensor element (24) has a chamber mantle (84) made of titanium, in the shape of a cylindrical pipe, which forms the edge of an opening (91) at its end facing away from the cooling body (12; 12, 50), which opening is sealed off to be gas-tight, by means of a ceramic disk (92), which is hard-soldered to a radially inside ring flange (88) of the titanium mantle pipe. 37: Heat transport device according to claim 24, and having a control unit (10) for operational control of a drive element operated with a fluid working pressure medium, provided as a setting element of the heat transport device, particularly of a—dual-action—pneumatic or hydraulic drive cylinder (11), for the control of which an electrically controllable solenoid valve (21) is provided, which can be controlled by means of output pulses of an electronic sub-unit (32), which generates these output pulses from the processing of command signals from a central unit (12) as well as from sensor output signals, wherein a) the control unit (10) comprises an electrical charge storage unit (39) that imparts the function of a rechargeable battery or a capacity, as the control power source for the solenoid valve (21), b) a generator (41) of the control unit (10) that can be driven by means of a rotational pneumatic drive motor (42) is provided for charging the storage unit (39), and that c) the control unit (10) comprises a solenoid valve (44) that can be controlled by means of output signals of the electronic sub-unit (32) of the control unit (10) supplied from the storage unit (39), as a storage/charge valve (44), by means of which the pneumatic drive motor (42) can be connected with a central compressed air supply (23) of the pneumatic system, which also comprises the drive cylinder (11), and can be locked off relative to it. 38: Heat transport device according to claim 37, wherein a charge control unit (39′) that monitors the charge state of the electric storage unit (39) is provided, by means of which the storage/charge valve (44) can be controlled to bring it into its functional position II, in which the compressed air source (23) is connected with the supply connector (43) of the pneumatic drive motor (42), if the charge content of the storage unit (39) has dropped below a threshold value. 39: Heat transport device according to claim 37, wherein the control unit (10) comprises an electronic sub-unit (32), which generates control signals for controlling the 4/3-way solenoid valve 21, which controls the movements of the drive cylinder (11), as a function of command pulses of the central unit (12), which administers several control units (10) and drive cylinders (11), as well as of status output signals of electronic sensors (36/1, 36/2, and 36/3). 40: Heat transport device according to claim 39, wherein the sub-unit (32) provided to control the 4/3-way solenoid valve (21) communicates with the central unit (12) by way of wireless transmission routes (38/1, 38/2, and 37/1, 37/2). 41: Heat transport device according to claim 37, wherein the control valve (21) provided for control of the drive cylinder (f) and/or the 2/2-way solenoid valve (44) provided for drive control of the rotating pneumatic drive motor (42) or the direct-current generator (41), respectively, is configured as a pulse-controlled valve, in each instance, which can be controlled by means of a dual-stroke solenoid system (31) or (46), respectively, and after having been activated, is held in its activated position by means of a catch device (31; 46), until a next pule is generated, which causes it to switch to the alternative functional position. 